>>> OF THE MANY CHALLENGES PEOPLE REVEALED IN THEIR LIVES AFTER INCARCERATION FACE, ONE OF THE BIGGEST IS LANDING A STEADY JOB.

ACCORDING TO THE PRISON POLICY INITIATIVE, NATIONWIDE, JOBLESSNESS AMONG FORMERLY INCARCERATED PEOPLE IS 27%.

THAT'S ABOUT FIVE TIMES THE OVERALL RATE , AND THAT'S A PROBLEM, BECAUSE EMPLOYMENT CAN BE CRITICAL FACTOR IN KEEPING PEOPLE FROM RETURNING TO PRISON.

BUREAU OF JUSTICE STATISTICS RESEARCH SHOWS FORMERLY INCARCERATED PEOPLE WILL MAINTAIN EMPLOYMENT FOR ONE YEAR POST RELEASE HAD ONLY A 16% RECIDIVISM RATE COMPARED TO A 52% RATE FOR THOSE WHO DID NOT STAY EMPLOYED.

AS PART OF WTTW'S FIRST INITIATIVE THIS SEASON EVALUATING LIFE AFTER PRISON, WE'LL TALK ABOUT THE RESOURCES AVAILABLE FOR GETTING PEOPLE BACK TO WORK POST INCARCERATION WAS THE CODIRECTOR OF THE LIFT WORKS PROGRAM AT HHP LEFT, AND FRANCISCO PEREZ , RE-ENTRY NAVIGATOR WITH THE CHICAGO WORKFORCE PARTNERSHIP.

I WANT TO WELCOME YOU BOTH FOR JOINING US TODAY, BUT I WANT TO START WITH YOU, FRANCISCO.

IF I MAY, FRANCISCO.

WHY DO YOU THINK OCCUPATIONAL TRAINING IS SO IMPORTANT FOR HELPING PEOPLE RE-ENTER AFTER INCARCERATION?

>> ONE OF THE MAIN THINGS, ONE OF THE MAIN THINGS THAT PEOPLE RETURNING FACE , FACE IS, IS LACK OF MONEY.

SO WHEN YOU COME HOME, THE FIRST THING YOU NEED IN YOUR POCKET IS MONEY TO BE ABLE TO SUSTAIN YOURSELF.

YOU MIGHT COME HOME AND BE LIVING WITH A FAMILY MEMBER, A FRIEND, YOU KNOW.

AFTER A WHILE, IT GETS, IT GETS TO BE TOO MUCH FOR PEOPLE, SO HAVING EMPLOYMENT WHEN YOU FIRST COME OUT AND HAVING MONEY, BEING ABLE TO SUSTAIN YOURSELF AND SUPPORT YOUR FAMILY, AT LEAST WITH THE LITTLE BIT OF MEANS THAT YOU HAVE, IS PROBABLY ONE OF THE BEST THINGS THAT YOU CAN GIVE TO SOMEBODY COMING OUT.

>> AND THE TRAINING.

THAT'S WHY OCCUPATIONAL TRAINING IS SO IMPORTANT.

>> YEAH.

WE HAVE A PROGRAM CALLED THE ROAD HOME, AND THE CHICAGO WORKFORCE PARTNERSHIP, IS A PROGRAM THAT I BUILT ALONG WITH ANOTHER NAVIGATOR, AND WE GET A YEAR WORTH OF WRAPAROUND.

WE SOURCE IT TO PEOPLE PRE-RELEASE AND CARRY THEM INTO POST RELEASE AND GIVE THEM A YEAR WORTH OF TRAINING, WHETHER IT BE VOCATIONAL TRAINING OR EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES.

>> WHAT ARE SOME UNIQUE NEEDS FOR OCCUPATIONAL TRAINING THAT PEOPLE RETURNING FROM PRISON HAVE THAT OTHERS DON'T?

>> SO PART OF THIS IS THAT THEY NEED SOFT SKILLS AND HARD SKILLS TRAINING.

IT'S , JUST AN EXAMPLE WOULD BE SOMEBODY COMING IN, THEY ARE COMING INTO A WORKSHOP, WE CAN MAKE THEM FEEL AT HOME, THEY, WE TRAINED THEM IN ORDER FOR THEM TO HAVE THE POSSIBILITY FOR THEM TO CREATE THIS SYSTEM OF HELP FOR THEMSELVES, FOR EXAMPLE, SOMETIMES ONE OF THE PARTICIPANTS SAYS, WE'VE BEEN INCARCERATED FOR FIVE OR 10 YEARS.

I COME BACK HOME, AND THE COMPUTER SYSTEM IS COMPLETELY DIFFERENT.

YOU COME HOME , AND THEY DON'T KNOW HOW TO ACTUALLY USE THE PROGRAMS.

IF YOU GO TO , WE TEACH ON A ONE-ON-ONE BASIS.

SO THAT HELPS THEM ALSO CREATE CONFIDENCE , AND WITHIN THEMSELVES, BUT ALSO FOR THE NEXT JOB, RIGHT, THAT THEY'RE GOING TO GO INTO.

>> SO YOU WOULD SAY TECHNOLOGY'S ONE OF THE BIGGEST ISSUES FOR THEM COMING OUT OF PRISON.

>> YES.

DEFINITELY TECHNOLOGY WOULD BE ONE OF THE MAIN FACTORS.

>> FRANCISCO, WHAT DOES THE CHICAGO WORKFORCE PARTNERSHIP DO TO HELP PEOPLE RE-ENTER AFTER INCARCERATION?

>> WELL, WE GIVE EVERYBODY IN OUR PROGRAM, WE, WE GIVE EVERYBODY , IMMEDIATELY, ONCE THEY GET RELEASED , A CAREER COACH AT ONE OF OUR TWO CENTERS, AND THEY MEET WITH A CAREER COACH , AND WE GIVE THEM, LIKE I SAID, A YEAR WORTH OF SERVICES.

BUT WE GIVE THEM A SEAMLESS RE-ENTRY.

THEY COME HOME, IMMEDIATELY MEET A CAREER COACH, WHICH ALLOWS THEM TO HAVE MONEY IN THEIR POCKETS AS SOON AS THEY GET OUT, AND THEN FROM THERE, WE GIVE THEM ALSO SOFT SKILLS TRAINING.

AND WE OFFER A SUITE OF, A SUITE OF PROGRAMS, EVERYTHING FROM ENTREPRENEURSHIP PROGRAMS TO THE WORKFORCE OBSERVATION GRANT, AND WE USE THAT TO HELP PEOPLE, YOU KNOW, LIKE, MY EXAMPLE WOULD BE TRUCK DRIVERS.

IF THEY CAME HOME AND WANTED TO BE A TRUCK DRIVER, YOU WOULD SIGN UP FOR THE WORKFORCE INNOVATION OPPORTUNITIES, AND PAY $6000 TOWARDS ANY EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES THAT YOU WANT.

SO IF YOU WANTED TO BE A TRUCK DRIVER, IT'S ABOUT $6000 TO GET A LICENSE.

YOU WOULD COME IN, SEE YOUR CAREER COACH, AND THEN YOU TAKE YOUR CLASS AND THEY'LL PAY FOR IT.

>> DEFINITELY A PLATFORM FOR THEM.

>> DEFINITELY.

WE GOT A LOT OF GUYS THAT COME HOME, AND THEY DON'T NECESSARILY WANT TO WORK FOR OTHER PEOPLE, BECAUSE THEY SPENT SO MUCH TIME AWAY, SO TRYING TO OPEN THEIR OWN BUSINESS OR WORK FOR THEMSELVES IS A BIG THING.

>> ALEXANDRA, CAN YOU OUTLINE THE PROGRAMS THAT IT OFFERS FOR PEOPLE POST INCARCERATION?

>> YEAH.

SO ACTUALLY WORKS WITH READY CHICAGO, WHICH WE ARE ON THE JOB TRAINING.

SO PEOPLE THAT HAVE BEEN INCARCERATED THAT COME TO OUR WORKSHOP, THEY GET TO LEARN, AGAIN, SOFT SKILLS, HARD SKILLS.

WE CREATE CANDLES , SOAP, AND BATH PRODUCTS, SO THEY'RE ABLE TO LEARN THOSE SKILLS, AND ALSO WHAT HAPPENS IS WHEN THEY CREATE ALL THESE SKILLS, THEY BECOME SELF-CONFIDENT.

AND PART OF OUR PROGRAM IS ALSO TEACHING ONE-ON-ONE BASIS .

WE GET TO KNOW THE INDIVIDUAL PERSONALLY AND SEE WHAT THE STRUGGLE IS .

WHAT ARE THEY LACKING?

OR WHAT THEY WANT TO LEARN.

FOR EXAMPLE, ONE OF OUR PARTICIPANTS WANTED TO LEARN MORE ABOUT CREATING HANDLES.

HOW CAN I BECOME A BUSINESS?

HOW CAN I MAKE THIS A BUSINESS?

SO THEY CREATE , WE CREATE THAT PARTNERSHIP WITH THEM AND REALLY PUSH TOWARDS SUCCESS FOR THEM FOR THE NEXT STEP.

>> RIGHT.

AND OBVIOUSLY, THE OBJECTIVE IS FOR THEM TO FIND A JOB.

SO, FRANCISCO, WHAT YOU HEAR FROM EMPLOYERS AFTER HIRING FORMERLY INCARCERATED?

>> YOU WOULD THINK, BASED ON THE LAST COUPLE YEARS, YOU WOULD THINK THAT PEOPLE, PEOPLE WERE HESITANT.

BUT NOW, THEY'RE HIRING PEOPLE WITH SO MANY BACKGROUNDS EVERYWHERE.

AND I HAVEN'T, I'VE HEARD MORE EMPLOYERS SAY THAT THEY, THEY ACTUALLY GET A BETTER WORKER FROM, FROM INCARCERATION, BECAUSE THEY, THEY'VE HAD TIMES TO REALIZE THAT, YOU KNOW, THEY NEED EMPLOYMENT, BUT ALL THEY HAVE IS THEIR JOB, SO THEY COME HOME, THEY KIND OF GIVE IT THEIR ALL.

I'VE GOT NOTHING BUT GOOD REPORTS FROM EMPLOYERS.

>> ALEXANDRA, WHAT DO YOU THINK THE GOVERNMENT SHOULD MAKE IT A PRIORITY TO SUPPORT PEOPLE COMING OUT OF PRISON?

>> IT JUST GETS THEM AN OPPORTUNITY TO DEFINITELY COME BACK, AND THAT WILLINGNESS.

THEIR, THEY'RE TEAM PLAYERS.

THEY'RE HARD WORKERS.

THEY'RE, WHEN THEY COME BACK, THEY WANT TO BE PART OF THE SYSTEM AGAIN.

THEY WANT TO -- WE OFFER THEM, ALSO, THE SUPPORT WHEN IT COMES TO MOCK INTERVIEWS, ALSO RESUME BUILDING , AND WHO DOESN'T GET NERVOUS WHEN AN INTERVIEW?

WE WANT TO GET THAT OPPORTUNITY BACK TO THEM, RIGHT?

WE WANT THEM TO BE SUCCESSFUL ONCE THEY COME OUT.

PART OF THAT IS THAT YOU DON'T WANT THEM TO COME BACK TO WHERE , TO INCARCERATION.

YOU WANT TO GIVE THEM THAT OPPORTUNITY.

AND THAT'S EXACTLY WHAT WE WANT TO DO.

AND BY SUPPORTING OFTEN NONPROFITS LIKE OURS, YOU'RE SUPPORTING THAT POSSIBILITY.

>> FRANCISCO, WHAT ARE YOUR METRICS FOR SUCCESS?

>> WE WANT EVERYBODY , WE LIKE EACH PERSON THAT WANTS TO GET RELEASED TO COME IN AND TAKE THAT YEAR WITH THE SERVICES, BUT IF I CAN GET THEM INTO VOCATIONAL TRAINING OR EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES FOR THREE MONTHS, EMPLOYED FOR AT LEAST THREE MONTHS STRAIGHT, THEN I CONSIDER THEM, YOU KNOW, A+ FOR THE PROGRAM.

>> YOU SO MUCH.

OUR TIME HERE IS SHORT, BUT I WANT TO THANK YOU FOR JOINING US.

THANKS, FRANCISCO PEREZ, AND ALEXANDRA.

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